Editing Helena, Montana (section)

==History==
The Helena area was long inhabited by various indigenous peoples.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Forest Prehistory|url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/hlcnf/landmanagement/resourcemanagement/?cid=stelprdb5373555#:~:text=Native%20American%20peoples%20first%20settled,we%20generically%20call%20American%20Indians.|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716111415/https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/hlcnf/landmanagement/resourcemanagement/?cid=stelprdb5373555|archive-date=July 16, 2020 |publisher=USDA Forest Service: Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest }}</ref> Evidence from the McHaffie and Indian Creek sites on opposite sides of the Elkhorn Mountains southeast of the Helena Valley show that people of the Folsom culture lived in the area more than 10,000 years ago.<ref>{{cite book|last1=MacDonald|first1=Douglas H.|title=Montana before history : 11,000 years of hunter-gatherers in the Rockies and Plains|date=2012|publisher=Mountain Press Pub. Company|location=Missoula, Mont.|isbn=9780878425853|pages=38–44}}</ref> Before the introduction of the horse 300 years ago, and since, other native peoples, including the [[Bitterroot Salish|Salish]] and the [[Blackfoot Confederacy|Blackfeet]], visited the area seasonally on their nomadic rounds.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Baumler|first1=Ellen|title=Helena, The Town That Gold Built: The First 150 Years|date=2014|publisher=HPNbooks|location=San Antonio, TX|page=28}}</ref>

===Early European settlement and gold rush===
[[File:Helena mo 1870.jpg|thumb|left|Helena, Montana in 1870]]
By the early 1800s, people of European descent from the [[United States]] and British [[Canada]] began arriving to work the streams of the Missouri River watershed looking for fur-bearing animals such as the [[beaver]], undoubtedly bringing them through the area now known as the Helena Valley.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Holmes|first1=Krys|title=Montana : stories of the land|date=2008|publisher=Montana Historical Society Press|location=Helena, MT|pages=80–89|url=http://svcalt.mt.gov/education/textbook/Chapter5/Chapter5.pdf |chapter=Chap. 5, Beaver, Bison, and Black Robes: Montana's Fur Trade, 1800-1860 |access-date=February 20, 2014}}</ref>

Gold strikes in [[Idaho Territory]] in the early 1860s attracted many migrants who initiated major [[gold rush]]es at Grasshopper Creek ([[Bannack, Montana|Bannack]]) and [[Alder Gulch]] ([[Virginia City, Montana|Virginia City]]) in 1862 and 1863 respectively. So many people came that the federal government created a new territory called [[Montana Territory|Montana]] in May 1864. The miners prospected far and wide for new [[Placer mining|placer]] gold discoveries. On July 14, 1864, the discovery of gold by a prospecting party known as the "[[Four Georgians]]" in a gulch off the Prickly Pear Creek led to the founding of a mining camp along a small creek in the area they called "Last Chance Gulch".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Baumler|first1=Ellen|title=Helena, The Town That Gold Built: The First 150 Years|date=2014|publisher=HPNbooks|location=San Antonio, TX|pages=6–7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=October 28, 2019|title=The city of Helena, Montana, is founded after miners discover gold|url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-city-of-helena-montana-is-founded-after-miners-discover-gold|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327184437/https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-city-of-helena-montana-is-founded-after-miners-discover-gold|archive-date=March 27, 2019 |website=History.com |access-date=2020-07-15}}</ref><ref name="History of Helena - Helena College">{{Cite web|title=History of Helena - Catalog - Helena College|url=http://www.helenacollege.edu/catalog/helenahistory.aspx#:~:text=The%20%E2%80%9CFour%20Georgians%E2%80%9D%20originally%20named,United%20States%20territory%20in%201864. |publisher=Helena College |access-date=2020-07-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Bradbury|first1=Mary Jane |last2=Shields |first2=Mike |last3=Jacobson |first3=Hal
|title=Nuggets from Helena: Reflecting on 153 years of Helena history |url=https://helenair.com/news/local/nuggets-from-helena-reflecting-on-153-years-of-helena-history/article_061752c0-46ee-5c73-b6e0-a814a92e59b5.html |date=January 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716045852/https://helenair.com/news/local/nuggets-from-helena-reflecting-on-153-years-of-helena-history/article_061752c0-46ee-5c73-b6e0-a814a92e59b5.html |archive-date= July 16, 2020 |website=[[Independent Record]] |location=Helena, Montana |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Pardee |first1=Joseph |last2=Schrader |first2=F.C. |title=Metalliferous deposits of the greater Helena mining region, Montana, USGS Bulletin 842 |url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/0842/report.pdf |website=USGS Publications Warehouse |publisher=USGS |access-date=20 May 2021 |page=183 |date=1933}}</ref> In the 1870s, a Pennsylvania brick and stone mason named Louis Reeder built Reeder's Alley. It is a strong link to the beginnings of the settlement. He invested in the lots along then Cutler Street (now known as Reeder's Alley) and between 1872 and 1884 built over 30 brick and stone one-room tenements for miners.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |title=Welcome to the Alley |url=https://reedersalley.com/ |website=Reeder's Alley |publisher=Montana Department of Commerce |access-date=19 Feb 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |title=Reeder's Alley |url=https://www.reedersalley.com/History/index |website=Reeder's Alley |publisher=Montana Department of Commerce |access-date=19 Feb 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |title=Reeder's Alley Helena Historic District|url=https://historicmt.org/items/show/9 |website=Reeder's Alley Helena Historic District |publisher=The Montana National Register Sign Program |access-date=19 Feb 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |title=Reeder's Alley Helena Historic District|url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=187378 |website=Reeder's Alley Helena Historic District |publisher=[[Historical Marker Database]] |access-date=19 Feb 2025}}</ref>
In 1876, Thomas Cruse, a prospector of Irish descent, discovered a massive gold deposit in the mountains, northwest of Helena. He soon filed a mining patent on 20.25 acres and opened the famous Drumlummon Mine which produced a rich bounty of gold and silver worth millions of dollars.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Thomas Cruse: Early Montana Prospector, Mine Owner, and Entrepreneur |url=https://ir.ua.edu/handle/123456789/8498 |access-date=2023-05-15}}</ref>

[[File:Birds-eye view of Helena, Montana 1875. LOC 75694669.tif|thumb|[[Panoramic map]] of Helena from 1875 with some statistics sites listed]]
By fall of 1864, the population had grown to over 200, and some thought the name "Last Chance" too crass. On October 30, 1864, a group of at least seven self-appointed men met to name the town, authorize the layout of the streets, and elect commissioners. The first suggestion was "Tomah", a word the committee thought had connections to the local Indian people. Other nominations included Pumpkinville and Squashtown<ref>{{Cite web|title=History|url=https://helenachamber.com/history/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716034748/https://helenachamber.com/history/|archive-date=2020-07-16 |publisher=Helena Area Chamber & Visitor Center |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref> (as the meeting was held the day before [[Halloween]]). Other suggestions were to name the community after various [[Minnesota]] towns, such as Winona and Rochester, as a number of settlers had come from Minnesota. Finally, a Scotsman, John Summerville, proposed ''Helena'', which he pronounced {{IPAc-en|h|ə|ˈ|l|iː|n|ə}} {{respell|hə|LEE|nə}},<ref>{{Cite news|date=September 15, 2015|title=Montana Pronunciation Guide|work=[[Billings Gazette]] |url=https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/the-montana-pronunciation-guide/collection_6f193e5b-b011-53f0-9227-12bc0c4c4967.html|url-status=live|access-date=July 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831022850/https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/the-montana-pronunciation-guide/collection_6f193e5b-b011-53f0-9227-12bc0c4c4967.html|archive-date=August 31, 2019}}</ref> in honor of [[Helena Township, Scott County, Minnesota]]. This immediately caused an uproar from the former [[Confederate States of America|Confederates]] in the room, who insisted upon the pronunciation {{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|ɛ|l|ᵻ|n|ə}} {{respell|HEL|i-nə}}, after [[Helena, Arkansas]], a town on the [[Mississippi River]]. While the name "Helena" won, the pronunciation varied until approximately 1882 when the {{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|ɛ|l|ᵻ|n|ə}} {{respell|HEL|i-nə}} pronunciation became dominant. Later tales of the naming of Helena claimed the name came from the island of [[Saint Helena|St. Helena]], where Napoleon was exiled, or was that of a miner's sweetheart.<ref>Palmer, Tom. "Naming Helena",  ''Helena: The Town and the People,'' Helena, MT: American Geographic Publishing, 1987, pp 20, 22, 28-31</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Helena Area Chamber of Commerce|url=https://www.visitmt.com/listings/general/chamber-of-commerce/helena-area-chamber-of-commerce.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718164545/https://www.visitmt.com/listings/general/chamber-of-commerce/helena-area-chamber-of-commerce.html|archive-date=July 18, 2020 |website=Visit Montana |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref>

Helena was surveyed by Captain John Wood in 1865 for the first time. The original streets of Helena followed the paths of miners, thus making the city blocks of Early Helena various sizes and shapes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Plat of the Town Site of Helena As entered at the U.S. Land Office. Lewis & Clarke Co. M.T. Drawn by A.F.L. August 7th 1882.|url=https://exhibits.stanford.edu/mining/catalog/wk526st2673|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719190157/https://exhibits.stanford.edu/mining/catalog/wk526st2673|archive-date=July 19, 2020 |website=Mining Maps and Views - Spotlight at Stanford |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref>

In 1870, [[Henry D. Washburn]], having been appointed Surveyor General of Montana in 1869, organized the [[Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition]] in Helena to explore the regions that would become [[Yellowstone National Park]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=September 17, 2019|title=Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service)|url=https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/historyculture/expeditions.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716151718/https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/historyculture/expeditions.htm|archive-date=July 16, 2020 |publisher=U.S. National Park Service |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref> [[Mount Washburn]], within the park, is named for him. Members of the expedition included Helena residents:<ref>{{Cite web|date=March 19, 2020|title=Yellowstone National Park - Plant and animal life|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Yellowstone-National-Park|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200720024255/https://www.britannica.com/place/Yellowstone-National-Park|archive-date=July 20, 2020|website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=February 27, 2020|title=Yellowstone Park established|url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/yellowstone-park-established|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102181939/https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/yellowstone-park-established|archive-date=November 2, 2019 |website=History.com |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=June 17, 2020|title=The Superintendents &ndash; Nathaniel Langford - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service)|url=https://www.nps.gov/yell/blogs/the-superintendents-nathaniel-langford.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302063936/https://www.nps.gov/yell/blogs/the-superintendents-nathaniel-langford.htm|archive-date=March 2, 2020 |publisher=U.S. National Park Service |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=February 27, 2020|title=Yellowstone National Park: Its Exploration and Establishment|url=https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/haines1/iee4.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710004118/https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/haines1/iee4.htm|archive-date=July 10, 2019 |publisher=United States National Park Service |access-date=July 25, 2020}}</ref>

*[[Truman C. Everts]], former U.S. Assessor for the Montana Territory
*Cornelius Hedges, U.S. Attorney of the Montana Territory
*[[Samuel T. Hauser]], president of the First National Bank, Helena, Montana; later a Governor of the Montana Territory
*Warren C. Gillette, Helena merchant
*[[Walter Trumbull]], son of U.S. Senator [[Lyman Trumbull]] (Illinois)
*[[Nathaniel P. Langford]], then former U.S. Collector of Internal Revenue for Montana Territory. Langford helped Washburn organize the expedition and later helped publicize the remarkable Yellowstone region. In May 1872 after the park was established, Langford was appointed by the Department of Interior as its first superintendent.

===Wealth boom===
[[File:Helena Cathedral.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Cathedral of Saint Helena|St. Helena Cathedral]]]]
By 1888 about 50 millionaires lived in Helena, more per capita than in any city in the world.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 13, 2014 |title=50 facts from Montana history: #26 |work=[[Great Falls Tribune]] |url=https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/2014/10/13/50-countdown-26/17196387/ |access-date=July 25, 2020}}</ref> They had made their fortunes from gold.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2001-06-17|title=50 Millionaires Lived in Helena Because of Gold|url=https://americanprofile.com/articles/50-millionaires-lived-in-helena-because-of-gold/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717005640/https://americanprofile.com/articles/50-millionaires-lived-in-helena-because-of-gold/|archive-date=July 17, 2020 |website=American Profile |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref> It is estimated about $3.6 billion in today's money was extracted from Helena during this period of time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History of Helena - Catalog - Helena College|url=http://www.helenacollege.edu/catalog/helenahistory.aspx|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716052847/http://www.helenacollege.edu/catalog/helenahistory.aspx|archive-date=July 16, 2020 |publisher=Helena College |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref> The Last Chance Placer is one of the most famous [[placer deposit]]s in the western United States. Most of the production occurred before 1868. Much of the placer is now under Helena's streets and buildings.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Boulter|first=George W|date=2010|title=Placer Deposits of Last Chance Gulch, Helena, Montana |url=http://archives.datapages.com/data/meta/mgs/mt/data/0001/0072/pdfs/0072_firstpage.pdf |publisher=Billings Geological Society|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716211814/http://archives.datapages.com/data/meta/mgs/mt/data/0001/0072/pdfs/0072_firstpage.pdf|archive-date=July 16, 2020|via=Datapages}}</ref>

This large concentration of wealth was the basis of developing fine residences and ambitious architecture in the city; its [[Victorian era|Victorian]] neighborhoods reflect the gold years.<ref>{{Cite news|date=December 19, 2016|title=These 14 mansions offer a glimpse into Helena's cosmopolitan history |website=[[Independent Record]] |location=Helena, Montana|url=https://helenair.com/news/local/these-14-mansions-offer-a-glimpse-into-helena-s-cosmopolitan-history/collection_b11c9444-cb79-5739-9416-6bed04d47df6.html|url-status=live|access-date=2020-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717064142/https://helenair.com/news/local/these-14-mansions-offer-a-glimpse-into-helena-s-cosmopolitan-history/collection_b11c9444-cb79-5739-9416-6bed04d47df6.html|archive-date=July 17, 2020}}</ref> The numerous miners also attracted the development of a thriving [[red light district]]. Among the well-known local [[pimp|madams]] was [[Josephine Airey|Josephine "Chicago Joe" Airey]], who built a thriving business empire between 1874 and 1893, becoming one of Helena's largest and most influential landowners.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Red Light District|url=http://www.helenahistory.org/red_light_district.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716200441/http://www.helenahistory.org/red_light_district.htm|archive-date=July 16, 2020 |website=Helena As She Was |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Corrigan|first=Terence|date=August 24, 2014|title=The seedy side of Helena |website=[[Independent Record]] |location=Helena, Montana|url=https://helenair.com/news/local/the-seedy-side-of-helena/article_5d946d5e-60a6-51e6-9138-1e8744a00468.html|url-status=live|access-date=2020-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718041130/https://helenair.com/news/local/the-seedy-side-of-helena/article_5d946d5e-60a6-51e6-9138-1e8744a00468.html|archive-date=July 18, 2020}}</ref> Helena's brothels were a successful part of the local business community well into the 20th century, ending with the 1973 death of Helena's last madam, [[Dorothy Baker (madam)|"Big Dorothy" Baker]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Wipf|first=Briana|date=November 1, 2014|title=Upstairs girls leave mark on state |work=[[Great Falls Tribune]] |url=https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/life/my-montana/2014/11/02/upstairs-girls-leave-mark-states-culture/18274341/|access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|date=February 29, 2008|title=Working girls|magazine=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/news/2008/02/29/working-girls|url-status=live|access-date=2020-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716200620/https://www.economist.com/news/2008/02/29/working-girls|archive-date=July 16, 2020|issn=0013-0613}}</ref>

Helena's official symbol is a drawing of "The Guardian of the Gulch", a wooden fire watch tower built in 1886. It still stands on Tower Hill overlooking the downtown district.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guardian of the Gulch|url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/guardian-of-the-gulch|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717083159/https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/guardian-of-the-gulch|archive-date=July 17, 2020 |website=Atlas Obscura |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref> The tower, built in 1874, replaced a series of observation buildings, the original being built in response to a series of devastating fires that swept through the early mining camp.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Helena's Iconic Fire Tower|url=http://www.helenahistory.org/fire_tower.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106121444/http://www.helenahistory.org/fire_tower.htm|archive-date=January 6, 2019 |website=Helena As She Was |access-date=2020-07-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Logan|first=Sean|date=January 20, 2014|title=Fiery history: Several fires in Helena's early years helped shape the town |work=[[Missoulian]] |url=https://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/fiery-history-several-fires-in-helena-s-early-years-helped-shape-the-town/article_24b8ad30-8210-11e3-9147-0019bb2963f4.html|url-status=live|access-date=2020-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716232701/https://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/fiery-history-several-fires-in-helena-s-early-years-helped-shape-the-town/article_24b8ad30-8210-11e3-9147-0019bb2963f4.html|archive-date=July 16, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Brant|first=Angela|date=July 5, 2010|title=Guardian of the past|url=https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/guardian-of-the-past/article_1acb3904-889b-11df-805d-001cc4c002e0.html|work=[[Billings Gazette]] |access-date=2020-07-26}}</ref> On August 2, 2016, an arson attack severely damaged the tower and it was deemed structurally unstable. The tower is to be demolished but will be rebuilt using the same methods as in its original construction.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Chaney|first=Jesse|date=August 2, 2016|title=Helena Fire Tower damaged in 'suspicious' blaze |website=[[Independent Record]] |location=Helena, Montana|url=https://helenair.com/news/crime-and-courts/helena-fire-tower-damaged-in-suspicious-blaze/article_a7022518-0504-59bc-a03a-848e6a6e42cb.html|url-status=live|access-date=2020-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524003318/https://helenair.com/news/crime-and-courts/helena-fire-tower-damaged-in-suspicious-blaze/article_a7022518-0504-59bc-a03a-848e6a6e42cb.html|archive-date=May 24, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=March 19, 2018|title=Friends of the Fire Tower: New nonprofit aims to restore and preserve Helena icon |website=[[Independent Record]] |location=Helena, Montana |url=https://helenair.com/news/local/friends-of-the-fire-tower-new-nonprofit-aims-to-restore-and-preserve-helena-icon/article_93637440-c762-5601-9886-0b0ff7b70c25.html|url-status=live|access-date=July 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717230255/https://helenair.com/news/local/friends-of-the-fire-tower-new-nonprofit-aims-to-restore-and-preserve-helena-icon/article_93637440-c762-5601-9886-0b0ff7b70c25.html|archive-date=July 17, 2020}}</ref>
[[File:Helena capitol.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Montana State Capitol]] building]]

In 1889, railroad magnate [[Charles Arthur Broadwater]] opened his Hotel Broadwater and Natatorium west of Helena.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Charles A. Broadwater family papers, 1873-1928|url=https://researchworks.oclc.org/archivegrid/collection/data/70927174 |website=researchworks.oclc.org |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Harmon's Histories: Join us for an evening at Col. Broadwater's magnificent resort |work=Missoula Current |url=https://missoulacurrent.com/opinion/2019/10/broadwater-hot-springs/?print=print |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Inbody|first=Kristen|date=February 5, 2018|title=A fourth chance for storied Helena hot springs|url=https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/2018/02/05/fourth-chance-storied-helena-hot-springs/307996002/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209100829/http://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/2018/02/05/fourth-chance-storied-helena-hot-springs/307996002/|archive-date=February 9, 2018 |work=[[Great Falls Tribune]] |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref> The Natatorium was home to the world's first indoor swimming pool. Damaged in the [[1935 Helena earthquake]], it closed in 1941.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Outdoor.com » Helena|url=http://www.outdoor.com/places/cities-and-towns/helena/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716221943/http://www.outdoor.com/places/cities-and-towns/helena/|archive-date=July 16, 2020 |website=Outdoor.com |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Broadwater Natatorium|url=http://www.helenahistory.org/Broadwater_natatorium.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716201623/http://www.helenahistory.org/Broadwater_natatorium.htm|archive-date=July 16, 2020 |website=Helena As She Was |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Chaney|first=Rob|date=March 4, 2018|title=Hot springs book reveals long wet history of Montana soaks|url=https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/hot-springs-book-reveals-long-wet-history-of-montana-soaks/article_d6dfbf94-7cae-5625-b3fd-317861849f59.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717080703/https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/hot-springs-book-reveals-long-wet-history-of-montana-soaks/article_d6dfbf94-7cae-5625-b3fd-317861849f59.html|archive-date=July 17, 2020 |website=[[Independent Record]] |location=Helena, Montana |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref> The property's many buildings were demolished in 1976.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-04-01|title=Broadwater Natatorium|url=http://treasurestatelifestyles.com/broadwater-natatorium/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716221944/http://treasurestatelifestyles.com/broadwater-natatorium/|archive-date=2020-07-16 |website=Treasure State Lifestyles |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref> Today, the Broadwater Fitness Center stands just west of the Hotel & Natatorium's original location, complete with an outdoor pool heated by natural spring water running underneath it.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Broadwater History|url=https://broadwatermt.com/broadwater-history/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190706072711/https://broadwatermt.com/broadwater-history/|archive-date=July 6, 2019 |publisher=Broadwater Hot Springs |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref>

Helena has been the capital of [[Montana Territory]] since 1875 and the state of Montana since 1889. Referendums were held in 1892 and 1894 to determine the state's capital; the result was to keep the capitol in Helena. In 1902, the [[Montana State Capitol]] was completed.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Timeline of the Montana Capitol's History|url=https://mhs.mt.gov/education/Capitol/History|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717224142/https://mhs.mt.gov/education/Capitol/History|archive-date=July 17, 2020 |website=Montana.gov }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=July 6, 2002|title=Montana Capitol Building timeline|work=[[Independent Record]] |url=https://helenair.com/news/montana-capitol-building-timeline/article_1f28eefe-a6a6-5773-82c7-b2bdac98ca1d.html|access-date=July 25, 2020}}</ref> Until the [[1900 United States census|1900 census]], Helena was the most populous city in the state. That year it was surpassed by Butte (with a population of 30,470), where mining industry was developing.<ref>{{Cite book|title=1900 United States Census|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |year=1901|location=Washington, D.C.|pages=461}}</ref>

Among the settlers the city's prosperity attracted were Blacks fleeing racism in the [[Southeastern United States|South]]. Many found work in the mines or on the railroads and established a middle class that supported Black-owned businesses, [[Black church]]es, Black newspapers and a Black literary society. A Black police officer patrolled the town's wealthiest (white) neighborhood. But in the later 1900s new discriminatory laws, such as a ban on mixed marriages and the establishment of many [[sundown town]]s, along with the attendant racist attitudes that led to them drove many Blacks out not just Helena but the state, to the point that the city's Black population today is a small fraction of what it was in the early 20th century.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Lang|first=William L.|title=The Nearly Forgotten Blacks on Last Chance Gulch, 1900-1912|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40489822|journal=[[Pacific Northwest Quarterly]]|volume=70|issue=2|pages=50–57|date=April 1979|publisher=[[University of Washington]]|doi=|jstor=40489822|access-date=June 3, 2021}} Cited at {{cite book|last=Rothstein|first=Richard|authorlink=Richard Rothstein|title=[[The Color of Law|The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America]]|pages=41–42|publisher=Liveright|location=New York|isbn=9781631494536|date=2017}}</ref>

In 1916, the [[United Daughters of the Confederacy]] commissioned the construction of the [[Confederate Memorial Fountain (Helena, Montana)|Confederate Memorial Fountain]] in Hill Park.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Knauber |first=Al |title=Helena Confederate memorial draws debate at city commission meeting |url=https://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/helena-confederate-memorial-draws-debate-at-city-commission-meeting/article_a2f2dac4-0608-5c77-a9ab-d78f41d31250.html |date=July 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717013938/https://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/helena-confederate-memorial-draws-debate-at-city-commission-meeting/article_a2f2dac4-0608-5c77-a9ab-d78f41d31250.html |archive-date=July 17, 2020 |url-status=live |work=[[Missoulian]]}}</ref> It was the only Confederate memorial in the [[Northwestern United States]].<ref name="mtstandardheleneofficialstodiscuss">{{cite news|last=Bridge|first=Thom|date=July 4, 2015|title=Helena officials to discuss Confederate memorial fountain|work=[[The Montana Standard]] |location=Butte, Montana |url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/helena-officials-to-discuss-confederate-memorial-fountain/article_e87e4ca5-5460-51b8-9285-93d8cc6c9a29.html|access-date=April 6, 2017}}</ref> The fountain was removed on August 18, 2017, after the Helena City Commission deemed it a threat to public safety following a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.<ref>{{Cite news|date=August 16, 2017|title=City of Helena to remove Confederate fountain|work=[[Independent Record]] |location=Helena, Montana |url=https://helenair.com/news/local/city-of-helena-to-remove-confederate-fountain/article_606b058a-4e09-5802-a7b8-dc07f2b0a27e.html|url-status=live|access-date=July 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718045042/https://helenair.com/news/local/city-of-helena-to-remove-confederate-fountain/article_606b058a-4e09-5802-a7b8-dc07f2b0a27e.html|archive-date=July 18, 2020}}</ref>

The [[Archie Bray Foundation]], a ceramics center founded in 1952, is just northwest of Helena, near Spring Meadow Lake.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Loranger |first=Erin |date=December 13, 2017 |title=National Register recognizes Archie Bray Foundation as nationally significant |url=https://helenair.com/news/local/national-register-recognizes-archie-bray-foundation-as-nationally-significant/article_c26edb26-87ff-5db0-ae5d-97e6a28282f1.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190926034652/https://helenair.com/news/local/national-register-recognizes-archie-bray-foundation-as-nationally-significant/article_c26edb26-87ff-5db0-ae5d-97e6a28282f1.html |archive-date=2019-09-26 |access-date=2020-07-17 |website=[[Independent Record]] |location=Helena, Montana}}</ref>

===1980s–present===
[[File:Algeria Shrine Temple (2012) - Lewis and Clark County, Montana.png|thumb|The [[Algeria Shrine Temple|Helena Civic Center]] in 2012]]
The [[Cathedral of Saint Helena]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Corrigan|first=Terence|date=July 9, 2014|title=Helena in 75 Objects: 3. Cathedral of St. Helena|url=https://missoulian.com/helena-in-75-objects-3-cathedral-of-st-helena/article_25183940-7fe8-11e4-a893-57e5e2fb0ac4.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718001233/https://missoulian.com/helena-in-75-objects-3-cathedral-of-st-helena/article_25183940-7fe8-11e4-a893-57e5e2fb0ac4.html|archive-date=July 18, 2020 |website=[[Missoulian]] |access-date=2020-07-17}}</ref> and the [[Helena Civic Center]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Corrigan|first=Terrance|date=July 17, 2014|title=Helena in 75 Objects: 11. Civic center spire|url=https://missoulian.com/helena-in-75-objects-11-civic-center-spire/article_283270c8-7fe8-11e4-a8a3-779f9cb90c36.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718012431/https://missoulian.com/helena-in-75-objects-11-civic-center-spire/article_283270c8-7fe8-11e4-a8a3-779f9cb90c36.html|archive-date=July 18, 2020 |website=[[Missoulian]] |access-date=2020-07-17}}</ref> are two of Helena's many significant historic buildings.[[File:The Bullwacker John B Weaver, Montana Historical Society Museum Store, Helena.jpg|thumb|The Bullwacker John B Weaver, Montana Historical Society Museum Store, Helena]]

Many working Helenans (approx. 18%) work for agencies of the state government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Helena, MT |website=Data USA|url=https://datausa.io/profile/geo/helena-mt/#:~:text=%C2%B1%207.8%25-,From%202016%20to%202017,%20employment%20in%20Helena,%20MT%20grew%20at,Educational%20Services%20(1,573%20people). |access-date=2020-07-17}}</ref> When in Helena, most people visit the local walking mall. It was completed in the early 1980s after [[Urban Renewal]] and the [[Model Cities Program]] in the early 1970s had removed many historic buildings from the downtown district.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Walking Mall 1970s|url=http://www.helenahistory.org/walking_mall_1970s.htm |website=Helena As She Was |access-date=2020-07-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Helena in 75 Objects: 34. Downtown Walking Mall|url=https://missoulian.com/helena-in-75-objects-34-downtown-walking-mall/article_30a2a0e8-7fe8-11e4-a8d1-631dbe7f932f.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718001226/https://missoulian.com/helena-in-75-objects-34-downtown-walking-mall/article_30a2a0e8-7fe8-11e4-a8d1-631dbe7f932f.html|archive-date=July 18, 2020 |website=[[Missoulian]] |access-date=2020-07-17}}</ref> During the next decade, a three-block shopping district was renovated that followed the original Last Chance Gulch. A small artificial stream runs along most of the walking mall to represent the underground springs that originally flowed above ground in parts of the Gulch.<ref>{{Cite web|date=September 2013|title=Greening Last Chance Gulch |url=https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-01/documents/helena-greening-last-chance-gulch.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223153532/https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-01/documents/helena-greening-last-chance-gulch.pdf|archive-date=February 23, 2017 |publisher=Environmental Protection Agency |access-date=July 29, 2020}}</ref>

In September 1983, the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|EPA]] proposed that an approximately 8.4 acre site in East Helena be listed on the Superfund National Priorities List because of a zinc and lead smelting facility had been emitting heavy metals like arsenic, lead, and cadmium into the air and soil for almost a century. Following thorough testing of soil, groundwater, and biological samples (blood, stool, and hair) from local residents, the results showed that residents of East Helena, especially children under seven, recorded significantly higher blood lead levels than those of the average Montana population. Thus, the East Helena site was officially listed in June 1984 and continues to undergo regular remediation and monitoring activities in coordination with the [[United States Geological Survey]] (USGS) and the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|Center for Disease Control]] (CDC).<ref>{{Cite web |last=US EPA |first=OLEM |date=2015-08-14 |title=National Priorities List (NPL) Sites - by State |url=https://www.epa.gov/superfund/national-priorities-list-npl-sites-state#MT |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=www.epa.gov |language=en}}</ref>

A significant [[1989 Helena train wreck|train wreck]] occurred on February 2, 1989, in which a 48-car runaway freight train slammed into a parked train near Carroll College, setting off an explosion that blasted out windows up to three miles away, causing most of the city to lose power and forcing some residents to evacuate in subzero weather.<ref name="HelenaIR_20090202">{{cite news|last1=Brandt|first1=Angela|date=February 2, 2009|title=20 years ago today, Helena shook, rattled and froze|work=[[Independent Record]] |location=Helena, Montana |url=https://helenair.com/news/local/article_8984de1d-0792-5aad-8021-fba2af1f35f1.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181108065646/https://helenair.com/news/local/article_8984de1d-0792-5aad-8021-fba2af1f35f1.html|archive-date=November 8, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=February 2, 2019|title=Photos: Infamous 1989 train explosion remains one of Helena's worst disasters |website=[[Independent Record]] |location=Helena, Montana |url=https://helenair.com/news/local/photos-infamous-1989-train-explosion-remains-one-of-helenas-worst-disasters/collection_0fd5b0c9-c444-5d14-913e-55e0975df73c.html|access-date=2020-07-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=February 5, 2019|title=Photos: A train exploded next to Carroll College in 1989 |work=[[Billings Gazette]]|url=https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/photos-a-train-exploded-next-to-carroll-college-in-1989/collection_425a5f09-f89f-5567-a668-8d3a4ac5eaa1.html|url-status=live|access-date=2020-07-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718040101/https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/photos-a-train-exploded-next-to-carroll-college-in-1989/collection_425a5f09-f89f-5567-a668-8d3a4ac5eaa1.html|archive-date=July 18, 2020}}</ref>
[[File:Northern Pacific Railway1382 Locomotive Helena Montana.jpg|thumb|Northern Pacific Railway1382 Locomotive Helena Montana]]
With the mountains, Helena has much outdoor recreation, including [[hunting]] and [[fishing]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fishing|url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/hlcnf/recreation/fishing|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713202227/https://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/hlcnf/recreation/fishing|archive-date=July 13, 2020 |website=United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service: Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Hunting|url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/hlcnf/recreation/hunting|website=United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service: Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest }}</ref> [[Great Divide Ski Area]] is northwest of town near the [[ghost town]] of [[Marysville, Montana|Marysville]]. Helena is also known for its [[mountain biking]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Palmer|first=Denny K.|date=January 15, 2015|title=Draft Desired Conditions Comments; Forest Plan Revision Helena and Lewis & Clark National Forests |url=https://www.montanabicycleguild.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/011516-Desired-Conditions-Comments_MBG.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719030514/https://www.montanabicycleguild.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/011516-Desired-Conditions-Comments_MBG.pdf|archive-date=July 19, 2020 |publisher=Montana Bicycle Guild }}</ref> It was officially designated as an [[International Mountain Bicycling Association]] bronze level [[Ride Center]] on October 23, 2013.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Madison|first=Erin|date=August 11, 2015|title=Helena makes its mark as mountain bike destination|url=https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/outdoors/2015/08/03/helena-makes-mark-mountain-bike-destination/31075209/|work=[[Great Falls Tribune]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Lemon|first=Greg|date=August 15, 2015|title=Helena earns recognition as mountain biking destination |website=[[Independent Record]] |location=Helena, Montana|url=https://helenair.com/news/local/helena-earns-recognition-as-mountain-biking-destination/article_5652464d-5f5f-5476-97d9-b3227db8a096.html|url-status=live|access-date=2020-07-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708043836/https://helenair.com/news/local/helena-earns-recognition-as-mountain-biking-destination/article_5652464d-5f5f-5476-97d9-b3227db8a096.html|archive-date=2018-07-08}}</ref>

[[Helena High School]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Search for Public Schools - School Detail for Helena High School|url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3013830&ID=301383000430 |website=nces.ed.gov |access-date=2020-07-18}}</ref> and [[Capital High School (Helena, Montana)|Capital High School]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Search for Public Schools - School Detail for Capital High School|url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3013830&ID=301383000429 |website=nces.ed.gov |access-date=2020-07-18}}</ref> are public high schools in [[Helena Public School District|Helena School District]] No. 1.

In 2017, Helena voters elected as mayor former [[Liberia]]n refugee [[Wilmot Collins]], who was widely reported to be Helena's first black mayor.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Lister|first=Nolan|title=Helena mayor, US Senate candidate found not guilty of leaving crash scene|url=https://helenair.com/news/local/helena-mayor-us-senate-candidate-found-not-guilty-of-leaving-crash-scene/article_c17aa9fe-2687-5586-85a6-e691d3c2ac45.html|website=[[Independent Record]] |location=Helena, Montana |access-date=2020-07-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=In Montana, A Liberian Refugee Mounts A U.S. Senate Challenge|newspaper=NPR.org |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/10/09/767275774/in-montana-a-liberian-refugee-mounts-u-s-senate-challenge |publisher=NPR |access-date=2020-07-18}}</ref> The ''Independent Record'' reported contested research indicating that in the early 1870s one E. T. Johnson, listed in the city directory as a black barber from Washington D.C., had been elected mayor, before Helena became an incorporated town.<ref name="Indep Rec 2017-11-08">{{cite web |last1=Bridge |first1=Thom |title=Will Helena's Wilmot Collins be Montana's first black mayor? Not exactly, historians say |url=http://helenair.com/news/local/will-helena-s-wilmot-collins-be-montana-s-first-black/article_aeb6ff03-98f2-56c3-b8c3-3aec7de62af5.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171111044404/http://helenair.com/news/local/will-helena-s-wilmot-collins-be-montana-s-first-black/article_aeb6ff03-98f2-56c3-b8c3-3aec7de62af5.html |archive-date=November 11, 2017 |date=November 8, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>